Posted on 01/13/2012 10:55:55 AM PST by Chi-townChief
There, I just Tebowed at my desk. Thirty seconds worth.
I didn’t ask the Lord or Allah or Buddha or even Joel Osteen for help.
I simply took a half-minute to clear my mind, relax, fire up and be thankful that I get to write a sports column in a city I love, on topics that inspire me, with opinions that are worked from six decades of trying to figure out this thing called life.
I even enjoy the negative stuff, like, say, this unsigned note that just came in the mail from a reader, hand-scrawled on yellow legal paper: “Keep the God-damned Money out of it! — That’s what ruined professional sports — YOU JACK ASS!’’
Passion!
And so we have Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow, the muscle-armed, ever-smiling, passing-challenged, “miracle’’-producing “Muscular Christian’’ of 19th century romantic construction, the embodiment of the philosophical ideal of the pious Christian soldier, sincere, gentle, kind yet masculine and ready to kick butt.
Tebow — whose pose while praying before games and sometimes during and after them has become the hottest debate topic in all of America — is taking on the two-touchdown-favorite, 13-3 New England Patriots on Saturday in Foxborough, Mass. Apparently by himself.
Images of St. George or David (after heavy lifting and extensive creatine and whey-powder ingestion) or maybe St. Patrick casting out Irish snakes come to mind.
That the rest of the competent Broncos will play alongside Tebow seems to have escaped everyone.
Indeed, that fact might be irrelevant to a lot of, shall we call them, “Muscular Couch Potatoes.’’
Unbelievably — well, maybe not — 43.3 percent of people in this country believe that Tebow’s accomplishments on the field ‘‘can be attributed to divine intervention.’’
That means those folks believe God put that astounding 80-yard, touchdown-producing Tebow ball in the hands of wide receiver Demaryius Thomas last week for the 11-second, fastest-in-NFL-overtime win against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Like a baton handoff from Tebow to an apostle — with Jesus moving the fingers.
This poll was conducted by the website Poll Position, a place that claims to be “a nonpartisan news, polling and social media company whose goals are to engage, enlighten and entertain you.’’
Well, I’m entertained.
Because the kicker is: Only 42.3 percent of those who know who Tebow is think divine intervention does not have anything to do with his success.
That means more people believe the NFL is something like an ancient Roman passion play with hands popping out of the sky to move chess pieces around and turn people into stones or frogs or livers to be pecked over and over than do not.
Should we expect the Broncos to give Tebow two lockers next season: one for him, one for his Special Pal?
And yet, as a passionate Tebow defender said to me the other day, Why does this guy polarize people so much? Forget the God stuff, isn’t he a better role model than the endless stream of arrogant, me-first, whoring-about, drug-abusing stars we normally put on pedestals?
Yes. Sure.
But the God stuff is not just a trapping with Tebow.
It is Tebow.
You know who really thinks Tebow and God walk hand in hand on the gridiron? According to the poll, women, young people between the ages of 18 and 29 and Republicans.
The thoughts come to one: If Tebow ran tent-show revivals, he could rake in millions. (Grinning, big-toothed Osteen, you are practice squad compared to Tebow.) If he ran for president, he could win. If he were to disappear, we would build a shrine wherever he was last seen.
The trouble with the divine- intervention theory is, of course, there are always as many fervid Christians on the other side of the line of scrimmage as there are on Tebow’s. A God that flicks devout cornerbacks in the head so praying tight ends can get past them is unimaginable.
To me, anyway.
The never-closemouthed Charles Barkley said on radio the other day that with the Broncos’ crazy, underdog win over the Steelers and Tebow Mania everywhere, “the national nightmare continues.’’
In short, Barkley said he and many others are sick of the fantastic faith-based goody-ness that surrounds this young man who has made sport and religion inseparable.
Me, I can’t wait to see Tom Brady and mates take on the Broncos.
Not to see Tebow be demolished.
But to see if a running, bare-armed, cheerful, fundamentals-be-damned, totally retro, winning quarterback can beat cunning coach Bill Belichick and suave, classically formed quarterback Brady in a game that is — remember — as vicious as it is pretty.
I don’t think God has anything to do with it. Come on!
But I think secular, nondenominational, nonsectarian, reflective Tebowing, done at the right moments, might be the coolest thing since snow angels.
People from around here (indiana) would be already praying for New England’s defeat, even if Tebow wasn’t at QB.
The ‘controversy’ surrounding Tim Tebow is really just a bunch of non-religious folks feeling uncomfortable with an outstanding pro football player that is a sincere, unapologetic Christian. Tebow doesn’t claim ‘divine intervention’ in his football games, win or lose, he simply gives his creator the credit for the body and skills he possesses. Why is that so scary for the non-religious? Probably because it gets them to thinking that if there is a God, they may be answerable to Him for their actions in life and that would be unacceptable to many. Sports writers repetitive attempts to mock and marginalize Tebow for his public displays of reverence to God are getting ridiculous. The guy has his attributes and his flaws. Big deal. Let’s cut the ‘controversy’ nonsense and just enjoy the games.
The problem for the Tebow haters is not that he is visible in his proclamation of his faith. It’s the discomforting impression that he actually means it.
Bingo !!
And, like I’ve posted in other threads, Tebow thanked his mom for not aborting him at the banquet when he got the Heisman trophy. Now, THAT is heresy to a liberal!
Yes. Sure. But...
There, that sums up his entire article. The "but" is all about his intolerance of Christians. And he started his column with a "I don't pray to God, but we are co-equals.." statement.
It seems to have only escaped you, Telander. Most everyone else understands that football is a team sport
Why is there a need to deliberately mock the Lord by including Allah and Bhudda, obviously meant as unusual inclusions when writing to an American audience?
Never heard of the author. Is he a sports writer/colummist? He doesn’t appear to grasp the knowledge of football.
You said it well; “...coward...”
Notice how he got his obligatory blasphemy in - using someone else?
I know “we don’t need no steenking standards” but...since when is it ok to print gd in the newspaper?
It’s nauseating.
He KNOWS believing folks would read bc of the headline...then he throws that in there to purposefully insult.
ughhhhhhhhh!
My friend just sent me this:
Tom Brady, after living a full life, died. When he got to heaven, God was showing him around. They came to a modest little house with a faded Patriots flag in the window. “This house is yours for eternity Tom, said God. “This is very special; not everyone gets a house up here.” Tom felt special, indeed, and walked up to his house. On his way up the porch, he noticed another house just around the ...corner. It was a huge 3-story mansion with Orange and Blue sidewalks and drive ways, a 50 foot tall flagpole with an enormous Broncos logo flag waving, a swimming pool in shape of a horse, a Broncos logo in every window, and a Tim Tebow jersey on the front door. Tom looked at God and said “God, I’m not trying to be ungrateful, but I have a question. I was an all-pro QB, I won 3 Super Bowls, and I even went to the Hall of Fame.” God said “So what’s your point Tom?” “Well, why does Tim Tebow get a better house than me?” God chuckled, and said “Tom, that’s not Tim’s house, it’s mine.”
This clown apparently does not believe in paragraphs either.
Now, BEFORE the game, please state WHAT sort of play, or game outcome, would be necessary for us to look at it and say “Yes, that really WAS a miracle!” and thus to recognize divine intervention as a fact in this case? Or would ANYTHING suffice?
I really don’t have a horse in the race for who will be nominated as the GOP candidate, so for now, until that is all sorted out, I will continue to sport my Tim Tebow for President bumper sticker, and enjoy all the thumps up I see in my rear view mirror. Thumbs up from people in Seahawk territory, so that in itself says something.
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